Apparatus for cooling



Spt- 25, 11933, D. K. 'WARNER ,928,581@` APPARATUS FOR COOLING Filed May 15, 1928 Fwd., l g

72 ATTORNEY.

CIN

`PatentedSept. 26, 1933 n miam arraaarns ron comme i Douglas K. .warnen Bristol, Conn. Application irrita'y 15, roze. serial; ne. 277,931 t claims. (ci. ceu-e5) Thisinvention relates to apparatus for utilizing the temperature of ay frozen body by which a constant temperature is maintained in a cooling room and whereby the temperature of said frozen y ibody may be transmitted `to enclosed spaces or receptacles removedvtherefrom `for the purpose of cooling the same@` The principal object of the invention is to provide, in a manner'as hereinafter setforth, an appara-tus for the purpose above stated, whereby cnclosed spaces or receptacles,` such as show cases, window displayfspaces, and the like, removed from a cooling room, may be maintained at a constant temperature.

Heretofore, refrigeration hasy been provided for show cases and the like by the ice machine which maintains a low temperature in arcooling room, the machine being controlled by a thermostat in the cooling room and adapted to absorb the' heat in show cases and the like while the machineis running. An ice machine of proper size and' installation runs about one-half the time in hot weather and about one-eighth of the time Y in cold weather. As show cases and the like are practically always very poorly insulated, the interiors thereof warm up much more rapidly thanv the interior of the cooling room wherein the thermostat is located, consequentlythe show cases are not kept cold much more than one-half thetime in hot weather or one-eighth the time in cold weather, the remainder of the time theapparatus in the-show cases having no utility and being inr the Way. Y f f In apparatus according to my invention, the cooling room is maintained at a constant tempera- Vture by freezing a solution of brine in containers in the top of the cooling room and permitting ther frozen solution to melt, meanwhile circulating the air in the room between the containers. I utilize the melted solution to maintain a constant temperature in show cases and they like` by piping the same through suchV show cases` and'back to the containers. I'also pipe the refrigerant, which L is maintained by the frozen solution at thesame temperature as the solution whenthefmachine is not running, to such show cases where it is evaporated by` the heat in the show cases and passed back in the form of gas to the conductors within the frozen solution where it is cooled and condensed by the solution, ready to be returned by gravity or other suitable means to vthe show cases'.

In the e, accompanying drawing in which like numerals are employed todesignate like parts throughout the same, i

Figure 1 is an elevation of van embodiment of 'front to rear.

my invention showing the position of the same with relation to a cooling room,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal through a cooling element, and i,

Figure 3 :is a transverse vertical section through the same. i

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown an embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the Walls of a coolingroom, at the top of which are supported I beams 6, by means of Vertical supports 7. Suspended from the I beams is a plurality of cooling elements 8, each of which consists of a brine pan and a refrigerant conductor, indicated generally at 9 and 10 respectively.

i vertical section Each brine pan is formed with a curved botf tom 11, side wallsV 12, and end walls 13. The ,end

walls 13 are spaced inwardly from the ends of the side walls 12 and are formed on the sides Vand bottoms thereof with bendable tongues 14,

which extend through openings formed in the side walls, vand are bent laterally to ,e lie against the outerfaces of the side walls to hold the end walls in position. A drip pan 15 is positioned undereach brine pan 9 and slopes downwardly from The drip' pan 15 is secured in position by means of upstanding end portions 16 which curve over the bottom 11 of the brine pan., .1

Suitable spacing elements, as 17, may be interposed between the drip pan and the brine pan. The brine pans are adapted `to containkbrine of a predetermined density. Y.

Positioned within each of the brine pans is `one of the refrigerantconductors 10, which is f substantially of radiator shape having an upper portion 19, a lower portion 20, and vertical portions 21, connecting the upper and lower portions. Extending along the inner face ofthe side walls y12, adjacent `tlietop of the brine pan 9, are suspension blocks 22, which are held in `place by means of suitable holdfast devices 23,

and are adapted to seat on the upper portion 19 of the refrigerant conductor 10, when the refrigerant conductorand brine pan are in assembledrelation. vThe brine pan and refrigerant conductors are Asuspended from the I beams by means of hangers 24,l which are provided with slits to receive therein thelower flanges of said I beams. The hangers 24 extend into the brine pan and are provided at their lower ends with hook portions 25 which are disposed below the lower surface of the upper portions 19 of the refrigerant conductors 10. A plurality of coupling members 26 vsupport the upper portions 19 of the refrigerant conductors, and are formed with downturned ends 27 which engage the hooks 25 of the hangers 24. Thus it will be seen that the brine pans 9 and refrigerant conductors 10 are supported by the hangers 24 with the lower portions of the refrigerant conductors spaced from the bottoms 11 of the brine pans.

Spaced from the bottom thereof, the forward end Wall 13 of each brine pan is formed with an opening28 for the passage therethrough of a lead-in pipe 29. The pipe 29 also extends through a perforated plate 30, which is positioned with its lower end against the outer surface of the end wall 13, rests on the upper surface of the end 16 of the drip pan 15, and extends in an upwardly and outwardly inclined direction. A sealing medium such as pitch, indicated at 31 may be interposed between the plate and the end wall 13. The inner end of the lead-in pipe 29 is formed with a flanged coupling 32, which coacts with a similar flanged coupling 33 formed on the lower portion 2O of the refrigerant conductor l0, thereby forming a connecting means between the lpipe 29 and the refrigerant conductor. The opposite end of the lower portion 20 is closed, so that refrigerant entering the lower portion immediately rises through the vertical portions 21 to the upper portion 19. The upper portion 19, at the rearward end thereof, is formed with Va similar flanged coupling 34 forsirnilar connection with a discharge pipe 35. The upper portion 19 is closed at the forward end i thereof.

brine pans .and refrigerant conductor 41 are disposed horizontally instead of vertically. The brinewithin the pan 40 -is of Igreater density than 'the'brine in the pan 9, for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed. The conductor 41 is connected withv the supplypipe A36 by means of a lead-inpipe 42and is-also provided with an outlet pipe 43, which is connected with a discharge pipe 44, common to both cabinets 38 and The pipe 44 is connected, through the pipe 45,

to a main discharge pipe 46. The pipe 46 is .common to all4 ofthe discharge pipes 35 of the refrigerant conductors 10.

. v'The cabinet 39 isr provided with a brine pan 47 and refrigerant conductor 48, which 'are 'disposed within the cabinet' 39 in the same manner as the brine pans '40 ia'nd refrigerantV conductor '41 'are Adispesedinthe4 cabinet 38. The conductor 48 is connected with the supply pipe 36 by -means of aleadein pipe 49, and is 'connectiedwith' the discharge pipe '44 by means of an outlet v4pipe 50. The brine within'the pan 4'7is of 'greater density than the brine vwithin the pan'40. v The cabinets 38 'andY 39 -are* adapted to have contained therein perishable foods, or foods which it is devsire'd to 'expose to an'ext'reinely low temperature, and'each cabinet is provided with va hinged door A51, 'so that 'ready access 'fnay be had to the interior thereof. VDisposed within the cabinet 39 is a'thrniostat 52, by means of which the operation of the ice machine, not shown, is controlled.

When the ice machine is running, the brine within the pans 9, being of less density than the brine within the pan 40, will start to freeze rst giving up its heat to the refrigerant circulating through the conductors therein, and the refrigerant within the conductors 10 will be evaporated and pass oif in the form of gas through the discharge pipe 46. When the ice forming within the pans 9 becomes thicker, the heat from the rine will be given up less rapidly, and the brine within the pan40 will begin to freeze, while the refrigerant within the conductor 41 will begin to evaporate and pass off in the form of gas through `the pipes 43 and 45 to the discharge pipe 46.

The brine within the pan 47 is of still greater density, and the thermostat 52 is set to stop the machine before the brine in the pan 47 freezes. W hen the machine steps, the frozen brine within Y the pans 9 and 40 will begin to melt, and before to the top of the rooin adjacent the walls thereof.

A series of balde plates 53' are spaced fronrthe walls of the room, by ineans of which a draft is created between the baiile plates 53 and the walls Vof the room.

Suitablydisposed with relation to the cooling elements and a lower level, is an ice making element indicated generally at 53. The element 53 includes plurality of rows of trays which are indicated generally at 54, and are positioned in superposed relation. Each row consists of a plu- Y rality of trays 55, which are connected together in horizontal alignment, in a manner to be hereinafter disclosed. The trays are formed with open tops and provided on the bottoms thereof with a series of longitudinally extending, downwardly projecting ribs Formed in the bottoms of the 'trays and extending longitudinally thereof is a plurality of tubes 57, which open into headers V58 extending transversely along the outer surfaces of the ends of the trays, adjacent the bottoms of the latter. The ends of the headers 58 are formed` with hanged couplings 59, by means of which adjacent trays are connected together, and by inea-ns of which the rows of trays are connected with an inlet header 60 and an outlet headerGl. The inlet header 6i) is connected with the pipe 42 by means of a connecting pipe 62 which extends downwardly below the element 53 to form trap 63. The refrigerant is admitted into the lheader 60, which is in connection with the tray density than the brine in the brine pans 9, in

order that the action of the melting brine in the brine pans 9 may be utilized to freeze the brine in the trays 55. The valve in the pipe 62 is normally open and the refrigerant is permitted to flow by gravity from the conductors 10 to the "m re-cooled and thereby condensed by the cooling headerO. The brine inthe trays 55 lbeing of less density then htlfiezbrine in the brine pans 9-gives oli is heat to the relatively cold refrigerant entering the tubes 57, causing the refrigerant to evaporate and pass orfpjin the Yform of gas through the outlet header 6l and pipe 64 to the dischargey pipe 46.y When the ineinachine is not running the gas will not be sucked through the discharge pipe 47, out will be condensed by the cooling elements at top of the rooin and ilow back in to the refrigerant conductors l to repeat thejcycle through the element 53. rIf desired the,` ice which is iorrned `in the trays may bere-moved d utilized for Ad packing and the like. w ice inay be loosened byopening a valve a pipe 67 which permits the hot gas to be forced through the pipe 67 into the header 6l of the eier ent 53. During this operation the valve 65 in pipe 62 is closed, to prevent the het gas iroin being forced upwardly through the pipe 62 to the cooling elements at the top of the room. The hot gas passing through `the tubes 57 loosens the ice from the bottorns of the trays and perniits the ready removal of theice. The pipe Se is provided with a valve ,88 which is also closed during the loosening operationto prevent the 'not gas from escaping into the discharge pipe 46. Alter the ice has been loosened the valve 68 is closed and the valve 68 opened to perni-it the gas reinaining inthe tubes 57 andheaders 67S and 6l to escape into the discharge pipe 46.

rine is again placed in the trays 55 and the valve 65 isopen to permit refrigerant to again enter the header 6G. During `the normal evaporation of the refrigerant in thetubes 57the gas cannot Aeseape back intothe pipe diie to the trap 63 provided therein. The briney in the trays 55 need not "necessarily be of lessdensity than the brine in thefbrine` pans 9, howevertunless the brine in thetrays 55 is of lessV density than that in the elements V53 can only operate dur ing the timeY that the Tice machine is running. By using a brinefor" lesser densityin the trays the melting auctionof theibrine in the pans 9 may be utilized to cause the freezing action in the element 53., The trays 55 may not Vonly beutilized for the purpose of making ice as above set forth, but may also be` utilized for absorbing the heat in any enclosed space desired.

Connected with the pipe 62, at a point above the valve 65, is a pipe 59, which is formed with a trap '70 and terminates in an evaporating element 7l. The element '71 is adapted to be positioned in an enclosed space, suchas a show case or the like, which is removed from the cooling room. The element 7l is provided with a plurality of radially extending hns 72, for the purpose of absorbing heat. Cold refrigerant hows by gravity from the refrigerant kcoi'iductors l0 through the pipes d2, 6,2, and k69 to the element 71. The heat within the enclosed space wherein the l element 7l is positionedv evaporates the refrigerant therein and passes the same in the form of gas through the pipe 73 to the discharge pipe 46.

The trap "I0 in the pipe 69 prevents the gas iorined in the element r.'l from passing back rinte the pipe 69. vWhen the machine is not runningthe gas passing through the pipe '73 into the pipe 46 is elements lat the top of the roorn, after which it may again fiow by gravity back through the element 7l. l t

The melting action of the brine in the pan 9 may be further utilized for cooling an enclosed space bycirculating the brine through the space. This maybe vaccomplislfied by connecting a pipe, such vas 74, with the interior of` one of the brine pans 9, and ,connectingk the pipe le witha suitable puinp,.indicated at 75. The action of the pump Adraws the brine from the pan 9 through the pipe ltand forces it through the pipe 7S which leads through the space which it is desired to cool connected with the interior oi another ofthebrine pans 96 I .E-reeralny two adjacent brine pans 9 are connected with the outlet pipe 74 and inlet pipe 76 respectively, and the adjacent pans 9 connected together'by inea-ns ci a short pipe 27. Any suitable nieansinay be employed in connection with the portion of the pipe 76 which is disposed witl in the space to be cooled to facilitate the absorption oi the heat within the space. The pump is adaptedas indicated at 7S, for connection with any suitable source of power. Y

ln the operation of my apparatus, the brine withinthe pans 9 ismaintaned at a constant temperature by nie-ans of the 'thermostat 52, which is located in the colder cabinet 39. The brine within the pans s is either freezing or melt ing at all times. The air within the room is maintained at a constant temperature at all tiines due to its circulation downwardly between the cooling elements and its upward return be tween the baiile plates 53 and walls of the roorn. l5 hen the machine is not running, the refrigerant within the conductors `l is maintained at the saine` te ioerature as the brine within the pans 9. ,'lfhis re' 'igerant freely flow by gravity to the elements 53 and "Il, as any gas which rnay be lj formed in these relatively warmer elements is prev 3nted from passing back vthrough the inlet refrigerant pipe by means oi the traps 63 and resprectively, .i v

-By means of the uniform temperature of the lli reirigerantiiowng to the element '7l and the constantcirculation of the refrigerant from the conductors l0 through the element ll and back ,to the conductors 16, a constant low temperature may be maintained wherever the element 'Il is flooded with refrigerant, which is unaiected by Y the operation of the ice vmachine until the ice formed on the conductors lo is so thick as to retard the heat iiow and permit a lower temperature of the refrigerant in thein. The temperature within the cabinet 3S is lower than the roorn temperature, and the temperature within the cabinet 39 is lower than that within the cabinet 38.

It is to be understood that the embodiment or ist' i the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred example of the saine, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted towi'thout departing from the spirit of the invention or the` scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: l. A cooling apparatus comprising a cooling, unit for maintaining a room at a constant ternperature and including an evaporating refriger- K ant container, a pipe leading :troni the refrigerant container, a second and lower evaporating element connected with the pipe, and means for returning the evaporated refrigerant from the lower evaporating element to the container.

2. A cooling vapparatus comprising a cooling unit for maintaining a room at constant temperature and including an evaporating refrigerant container, a second and lower evaporating element remotely located from said cooling unit, a pipe for conducting a refrigerant by gravity froin the container to the second evaporating element, a trap in the pipe located below the level of the second evaporatlng element, and a conduit located wholly above the second evaporating element for guiding the evaporated refrigerant back to said cooling unit.

3. A cooling apparatus comprising a cooling unit for maintaining a room at constant temperature and including a brine pan and a refrigerant container, a second and lower evaporating element remotely located from said lcooling unit, a pipe for conducting a refrigerant by gravity from the container to the evaporating element, a trap in the pipe located below the level of the evaporating element, and a conduit located Wholly above the evaporating element for guiding the evaporated refrigerant back to said cooling unit.

4. In combination, a plurality of cooling devices, each including a pan containing brine, the brine in the pans of the respective cooling devices being of different density and the brine in each pan serving to cool that device of which such pan forms a part, an evaporator within each pan, and refrigerant circulating pipes common to all evaporators and arranged whereby the liquid will drain to and ll the lower evaporator and the gas rise to a higher evaporator thereby permitting said lower evaporator to absorb heat, by liquid evaporation when the pressure on the system is low, due to compressor operation, or by vapor condensation on previously cooled evaporators at a higher level, said lling preventing said lower evaporator from absorbing heat by contained a higher temperature.

5. A cooling apparatus comprising a cooling unit for maintaining a room at constant low temperature and other remotely located cooling units connected therewith but at a lower level, each unit including an evaporator, together with means for draining liquid from upper to the lower evaporator and of passing the vapor from the lower to the upper evaporator.

6; In combination, a plurality of cooling devices, each including a pan containing brine, the brine in the pans of the respective cooling devices being of different density and the brine of each pan serving to cool that device of which such pan forms a part, an evaporator within each pan, a refrigerant supply pipe common to said evaporators continually flooding the latter, a discharge pipe common to said evaporators, and thermal means disposed within the cooling device wherein the brine is of greater density for so controlling the temperature of the refrigerant that the brine of greater density will be prevented from freezing and the brine of lesser density will be constantly freezing or melting whereby the brine of lesser density will be maintained at a constant temperature while the brine of high density will vary rapidly in temperature and thereby operate the thermostatic means to operate the compressor without any appreciable change in temperature of the ice filled cooling units.

'7. A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator cabinet, a plurality of containers suspended in the top of said cabinet carrying a liquid to be frozen, a refrigerant conductor in each container, said conductors being connected together and the refrigerant in said conductors freezing said liquid and being controlled by a thermostat located in an insulated box below the containers, said box having a cooling unit in its top sui'- rounded by a non-freezing fluid, the temperature of which is lower than that of the cabinet and will vary according to the thickness of the insulation around it whehwill in turn control the operation of the thermostat to regulate the thickness of the ice in the containers.

DOUGLAS K. WARNER. 

